348 SPOLIA ZEYLANICA. 
head and neck, the throat, and fore-neck are almost unmarked 
creamy-white ; the breast and abdomen are very pale brown 
with white crossbars. 
Bill black, paler at the base ; cere blackish ; iris yellow ; 
feet lemon-yellow. 
Females : length about 31; wing 18; tail 12°5; tarsus 
4-5; mid-toe without claw 2°8 ; bill from gape 2. 
Males are rather smaller. 
Distribution.—Confined to the higher ranges of Ceylon and 
Southern India. _ In Ceylon it appears to reside at elevations 
of over 4,000 feet, though it may be met with at lower altitudes 
in search of food. 
Habits, &c.—Rather a shy bird. It may be seen soaring 
slowly in wide circles above the higher ranges. It remains 
on the wing longer than the preceding species. It is fond of 
poultry, and most of the specimens obtained have been shot 
while raiding hen runs. The nest has frequently been found 
in the hills of Travancore. It is a huge structure of twivs 
lined with green leaves and placed in a tall tree. Unless the 
birds are driven away, it is used year after year. A single egg 
is laid generally in December. If the first egg is taken, a 
second may be laid later on. The shape is a broad oval, the 
small end well defined, but not pointed. The colour is white, 
at times with a few scattered markings of faint yellow or red. 
The texture is coarse, rough, and glossless. Average size 
2°75 by 2° 14. 
Group II.—Serpent and Fish Eagles. 
For the sake of convenience I have included the Serpent and 
Fish Eagles in one group, though they are not very closely 
akin, the main points of resemblance being their large size, 
powerful build, and longish tarsi. The Serpent Eagle—genus 
Spilornis—has a very distinctive plumage; adults being 
brown above and below, with white rounded spots on the 
lower parts. The wing is short, but broad and rounded ; the 
bill is fairly long and stout, with only a trace of a festoon ; 
the lores are nearly naked ; the nape is covered with a thick 
bushy crest; the tarsus is only moderately stout, is naked, 
except for a short distance in front, and is covered with small 
